Bryant Frattalone Comic Reviews

Brubaker, Epting & Perkins have taken the leftovers of the inconsistent quality from Civil War and crafted a blockbuster level modern day American epic. If you never liked Captain America, try Captain America without Captain America.

Another consistently good output by Brubaker. Epting and Perkins are turning in quality art on a regular basis too. They make you look forward to the next issue!

Brubaker and company continue to excite readers with red-blooded action, shocks and suspense. Its comics goodness at its best. Buy this book; youll be glad you did.

Lastly, Moose Brumanns coloring is hot, adding the necessary special effects to the epic action scenes and sets. Geoff Johns is making good use of a well loved comics mythology while incorporating a cast of heavy hitting bad guys to devastating effect. These are just the opening salvos. Lets hope Johns and Reis can keep the drumbeats going. Doom, Doom, Doom

This is one book thats actually worth the hefty prices we pay these days. Theres a lot of quality, story and art with a consistent creative team. Its the dream book of the summer.

What can I say? Green Lantern is still the most tantalizing treat on the comics shelves. What Johnss is doing here and over in Action Comics is mouth-watering comics goodness.

Greg Pak echoes the glory days of Peter Davids run bringing yet another jolt of life to what can easily become a one dimensional flat character. A great supporting cast with realistic motivations and kinetic and emotional art from the team of Frank and Sibal make this a thoroughly enjoyable Summer Blockbuster comic.

This issue the JLA is indeed Back Up to Speed.

Well worth the price of admission for anyone who loves Westerns, Fantasy and Horror with characters both compelling and cringe-worthy. The Dark Tower in comics form is a legend in the making on top of the legend thats gone before.

Ellis and Deodato Jr. keep the tension high and the surprises coming. This is a consistently great read for comics fans.

A tour de force as you like it from the consummate Wolverine team of Jason Aaron and Ron Garney.

Possibly the best and most entertaining read of the summer. The Hulk hasnt read or looked this good in a very long time.

A comics horror story for someone who doesnt normally like comics horror stories. Full of atmosphere and dread set against the backdrop of a literally cold war.

A nice start to what is hopefully another great add on to the recent spat of good Captain America stories.

Johns, McKone and company continue to build something great and legendary in their run on the sleeper hit of this past summer and what looks to be the continuing hit of the future.

Continued high marks for Highball Hal Jordan and his current caretakers.

Tomasi and the art crew hit one not only out of the park but out of this world! Anything Green Lantern is still worth picking up because the war may be over but the dust certainly has not settled.

Green, Davis and Banning give us all the good story and good art we could want from a monthly comic.

Were never quite sure just who is pulling strings or where well go next with the Thunderbolts, but one things for sure - well have grand adventure getting there.

Top notch writing and art make this mini not just another passerby but what looks to be a shiny gem in the Ultimate Universe. Pick it up, its not just a mindless slug-fest.

The art? Cmon people, its John Romita Jr. at the top of his game. A feast for the eyes all around, and my favorite is perhaps the Thunderbolt Ross reveal on the last page. Dont believe me? Check it out and see.

Carey and Ramos give us another good X-Men issue. Thats something I havent said about two issues of the X-Men in a long time.

All in all a solid story with some slight contrivances which set us up for some more interesting developments in the core Batman title.

Get ready for a Cap of our time to explode upon the pages of history. This may well be a next generation replacement that actually works.

I may just start picking up Conan again. Good job and very appealing to fans of Howards's original tales.

Consistently good storytelling and perfect art teams make Daredevil a pleasure to read month in and month out. The Devil is back in the Kitchen where he belongs and confronting brands of evil hes all too familiar with.

Reminiscent of stories that have gone before but so well executed and injected with realistic voices and emotion it begs the reader to come back into Abner's world to see his fate.

Its still a wild ride for Moon Knight with some new creative forces bringing some refreshing focus textually and visually to the proceedings.

For a team book that really lives up to the name pick up Batman and the Outsiders today.

Fraction made me devoted to a character which for years has been "take it or leave it" for me. The Punisher War Journal is a riveting read for the time being.

After some annoying editorial and marketing antics Niles gives us an inspired and intriguing take on a classic monster. Grab a copy, lock the doors and pull up the bed sheets.

In the muddled mess that has become the DC Universe as a whole Michael Green and Shane Davis give us a good superhero buddy story with well rendered art and thoughtful characterization.

Christos Gage and Ben Oliver weave a tangled web of a tale with super-powered trappings in the grand tradition established by Warren Ellis and Mike Deodato.

This issue allows us to take a breather after the beautiful chaos of Messiah Complex, but by all accounts we wont be breathing easy for long.

Add Jason Aaron to the list of X-writers returning these characters to what they do best as individuals and ensembles. Garney's artwork serves the story well depicting world hopping action and stark violence in clean story-telling style.

The penultimate issue of this mega-event delivers heart stopping action and head scratching considerations at the same time. Dont miss the final issue.

This issue is a grabber for old and new X-Men fans alike.

X-citement abounds in the X-Men world once again. Keep reading!

Some great character developments amidst an all out war for survival make the old X-Men cross-over epics new again.

All bets are off in the X-Men's world. Marvel isn't playing it safe with these mutants anymore. They've stirred the pot and what comes out is enticing stuff indeed.

The first chapter of Messiah Complex is a rip-roaring read with a classic, fan favorite artist. If youve been gone from the X-Men for awhile, nows the time to return to the fold before theyre all gone!

So far so good for the New, Young, Different X-MEN.

This issue left me wondering what other warped imaginings the creative team has up their sleeves for Bizarro. Ill tune in again next issue.

This book has got guts. If you were thinking of kicking Ghost Rider by the side of the road, stick around for the ride.

A quieter, more intimate tale in the annals of the continuing adventures of the Green Lantern Corps which still brings progress and change along with it.

Some nostalgic and tight storytelling by Gage and a good grasp of street level illustrating by Perkins make this an enjoyable read.

Pak has rocked the Hulks world in World War Hulk setting him up as the mightiest Smart Weapon to ever walk the earth! What this means for the future of the character is yet to be seen, but Paks done so well up till now were willing to stick it out until the end and you should be too.

Taken together there is just enough quality and difference among all of the stories in this anthology book to make a good start of it. Hopefully Marvel can keep up the quality and not turn this into what it became before.

Solid characterization and story telling from Chuck Dixon and nice art from Julian Lopez and Bit has peaked interest from me in regards to looking into the next issue of Batman and The Outsiders.

Batman and The Outsiders is turning out to be the sleeper hit of the winter under the capable hands of Dixon, Lopez and Bit.

Fraction continues to create a compelling character in Frank Castle though I have apprehensions about where the next sub-plot is going.

Niles, Hampton and Chuckry bring the sympathetic monster into the 21st century with homages to things gone by and a depth of characterization.

Busiek and Pacheco combine wide screen action, viable threats for the man of steel and futuristic technology to give us an exciting read.

Fast paced action with consistently slam bang art is what comics readers hunger, for and this creative team serves it up!

This issue is slower and yet explosive at the same time. Even while drawing in the focus of the book Ellis and company give us something to chew on until the next exciting installment.

A solid third act for the X-Force, but the creative team needs to be careful in their next steps with all the old characters they've introduced that are new again.

The least compelling and interesting issue of Brubakers run to date. I have confidence things will pick up again next issue.

If you are into skewed versions of your favorite Marvel and DC heroes and like your comics doomy and gloomy, this is a book for you.

The Finale to what amounted to some great poster material visuals but lacked in an engrossing story overall.

Ghost Rider's road is a bit rocky this month.

All in all a nice series by two creators who understand how to scare us, but the tension and horror elements were lost to me in the end.

Three fun distractions and one ever present blah story make me wish this book was at least a dollar less but, I still look forward to what Marvel will present to us next issue.

Another good if not great issue.

Bendis and Bagley deliver the goods in action and characterization as they tie up loose ends in the Avengers.

The fate of this book was on precarious ground with me after last issue but #12 showed developments that any long time fan of Moon Knight should appreciate and look into.

Points off this issue for some more muddied art but, Huston continues to engage us long time Moon Knight fans while putting his own mark on Marc. Where this goes next is anybodys guess and thats whatll keep us coming back for now.

A little saving grace in story and art should keep you coming back for more, but Bendis and Yu have got to give us more consistency and wrap up storylines if were going to stay for a long haul.

Bendis continues to attract and annoy at the same time while Yus art gets better with every issue. This book with all its faults continues to cast a spell over us comics readers. Whether Bendis gives us a big and satisfactory payoff for our time is yet to be seen.

Good characterization but a re-hashed plot that ended too abruptly and easily.

A solid little story for those who like their science fiction dripping with drama and the human element.

Another solid issue of an X-title. Stay tuned for some hot developments coming out of the just launched Messiah Complex cross-over.

The weakest chapter of this story thus far with just hints at greatness hopefully to come.

A book that hasnt commanded my attention but that does toss in little gems here and there for older comics fans.

Another less than satisfying concluding chapter in the saga that was World War Hulk.

An uneven follow up to the JLA Wedding Special. What could have been an entirely impressive second chapter is a letdown because of the poor art.

A lackluster entry with clunky art and a story hindered by poor editorial pressures in an otherwise compelling series.

Two OK stories written to take advantage of the Halloween season but not necessary or important to current storylines in the Bat-universe.

A good choice of artist may not save this story from an unmemorable fill in status.

This could be a solid series if editorial and marketing would just get out of its way and Batman not show up at all.

Unless you are really into Walter Simonson, you can pass on this book. His art saves the day in an otherwise contrived story.

Loeb needs to bring this team together and show us some heroism rather than emphasizing the worst traits of humanity in what are supposed to be Earths Mightiest Heroes.

A finale that is unsatisfying on its own but still whets your appetite for another helping of Hulk from Pak.

Only two issues in and we are starting to get a humpty dumpty of a tale. Be careful, Carey and company, you may not be able to put this one back together again.

You will not miss anything important to current X-continuity by passing this one up until something meaningful starts to happen.

A quiet uneventful departure for Meltzer.

The Worlds Greatest are just not that great anymore.

A third of this issue is just not satisfying at all. One story out of four still intrigues while one was, Been there, done that. Another was nothing more that a fix for broken continuity and the last is as dull as ever. If this keeps up Marvel Comics Presents will not be present in about 6 months.

This series started out with a lot of potential in my book but in the execution it is sorely lacking. What was an initially intriguing ride has just become a frustrating gridlock of a story.

What could have been another great and memorable story in the annals of the Man of Tomorrow ends in the worst way for an action character; boringly.

Another underwhelming and unnecessary entry in the otherwise exciting Sinestro Corps War.

A weak entry into the great mega event that has been the Sinestro Corps War. DC needs to deliver what has been promised here so that readers dont feel ripped off.

Teen Titans in its current state is in all ways an inferior product to things that have come before. Pick this issue up for the classic Wolfman/Perez and modern classic Johns/Mckone pages but other than that save your money.

Its been three strikes now against the re-launched JLA. I fear unless a relief writer is brought in there will be no extra innings for this book as far as Im concerned.

Stick with Moores Killing Joke. This is turning out to be a most regrettable and forgettable origin story.

The team of Morrell and Breitweiser let us down after just getting out of the gate. I see no reason to pick up another issue of what looks to be a throw away story.

The Coloring Book: Sorry, trying to amuse myself with alliteration here. I'm referring to the art. The art as a whole has degenerated as this series has gone on. Benes' art looks like little more that some high school kids sketchbook of his favorite comic book characters with little to no focus on backgrounds. Panel layouts are inconsistent, and the story-telling just does not flow well. Fight scenes are yawn inducing, little better than people just passing by each other and knocking each other over. There is no good explanation of powers at play or exhibition of true super-power. This is the Justice League of America! Not Wrestlemania folks! Well, I'm crapped out on this whole sordid mess. Maybe after Final Crisis we'll get a great Justice League again, but with DC's track record the year after Infinite Crisis, I'm not holding my breath.